The "Good Neighbor Fleet" was already starting to show its age when World War II broke out, and some questioned the expense of renovating them, but it was cheaper and quicker than building new ships.

Externally, compared to the new, sleek Delta Line trio that was also on the South America run, the three remained something of a sow's ear. Internally, the dated interiors gave way to the modern. Some would say too modern, especially when describing what happened to the Argentina.

Donald Deskey Associates tapped a mix of forward-thinking and on-the-cusp artists for Argentina's public spaces. Loren MacIver and Isamu Noguchi had generated favorable attention in the years just prior to World War II; Jose de Rivera, Attilio Salemme, and Theodoros Stamos were just breaking through.

William F. Schorn handled the renovations for Brazil and Uruguay. Despite the hoopla over Argentina, it's her rooms that were used in the promotional materials due to the fact she was first to re-enter service, and why images for the other two are hard to come by.